Page 66 of Friends with Benefits

‘You two gonna kill each other?’ Drew asks.

I glance at Brandon, who is curled into a ball, blood running from his nose and onto his pompous shirt as he squirms. I can’t stand the guy but I’m not about to beat someone to death either. I shake my head at Drew and Brooks, who are standing side by side, their arms folded across their chests.

They head back up to the house as I come up to sit and face out to sea, my arms draped loosely over my knees, rubbing my right knuckles with my left hand. Brandon coughs and splutters as he crawls up to sit next to me, mirroring my position.

‘Feel better for that, asshole?’

‘It’s something I should have done three years ago, fucking traitor.’

‘Traitor? Jake, I hated myself for it. I hated listening to you spill your guts about Ems then…’

‘Then going back to our house and screwing her?’

He drags in a breath so deep, it makes him cough. ‘Yeah, actually. Yeah. I felt fucking horrible. I still do. I wasn’t going to come tonight but Ems said you guys were patching things up and, damn it, man, I wanted to be able to do the same.’

‘We can never be friends again, Brandon. Not after what you did.’

‘Jake, you didn’t love her. Not like that. I listened to everything you said and I know how much you care about her. But you were never in love with her the way I am. You were afraid of losing her.’

I want to argue but he’s right. I know that now. ‘It wasn’t about whether I did or didn’t love her, Brandon. Fact was, I told you I did. There’s such a thing as guy code.’

‘I know. I messed up big time. I’m not denying it. I should have told you how I felt before making a play. Hell, maybe I should never have made a play.’

‘Yeah, you got that right.’

‘But I love her, Jake. I do. I did then and… fuck it.’

I take my eyes from the dark horizon and look at him. He rubs a finger under his nose and winces.

‘Fuck what?’ I ask, my conviction waning.

‘I’m going to ask her to marry me. I want to spend my life with her.’

‘Marry her? Marry my Ems?’

He pulls back from me, as if I might hit him again. Christ, he truly does love her. More than I could have, at least that way.

‘It really wasn’t just a lay, huh?’

‘If it had been, I’m pretty certain I could have stopped myself.’

I rub a hand roughly over my jaw. ‘Like hell you would have. At college, your dick was bigger than your brain. Probably still is.’

‘Screw you. I’ve got a decent job in the city. Granted, it doesn’t pay like Billy-Big-Shot’s job beside me but I do well.’ He looks up toward the house. I don’t follow his gaze. ‘I’ll take care of her, Jake.’

‘You’d better, Brandon. I swear to God, you hurt her, I will break you. I will end you. I’d do anything for her.’

His lips curve into a small smile. ‘That’s why I want you to be in our lives, Jake.’

I glance at his hand on my shoulder, then at his face. ‘Christ, you going to try to kiss me next?’

He scoffs and we fall into silence. I’ve got to admit, it feels nice to have gotten Emily, to have gotten Brandon, out of my system. Maybe one day, probably no time soon, we can find a way to all be friends again.

As we sit watching the ebb and flow of the water, I realize, for me, there’s nothing between me and the girl I want any more. Nothing except her own demons. And I hope we can get past them, because damn it, I want to be the guy holding the ring someday.

‘What the hell is it with everyone proposing this week?’ I mutter.

‘By all accounts, you’ve looked pretty cozy with the brunette. Is she new?’

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